Thomas Couper

, or Cooper, was born within the City of Oxon, educated in Grammer Learning in the School joyning to St. Mary Magd. Col. being then a Choirister of that House; where with very great industry, making proficiency beyond his years, was elected Probationer in 1539. and in the year following perpetual Fellow of the said House. Afterwards proceeding in the Faculty of Arts, he was made Master of the School wherein he had been educated; left his Fellowship about 1546. and gave himself solely up to the studies of Humanity and Medicine. In the Reign of Q. Mary, he being then inclined to the Protestant Religion, he took, as it seems, a Degree in Physick, and practiced that Faculty in Oxon; but when she was dead, he re-assumed his former Faculty of Divinity, became a frequent Preacher, took the Degrees in that Faculty in the latter end of 1566. being about that time made Dean of Ch. Ch. in Oxon, and was several years after Vice-chancelour of the University. In 1569. he was made Dean of Glocester, in the place of John Man deceased, and in 1570. Feb. 24. he was consecrated Bishop of Lincoln. In 1584. he was translated to Winchester; where, as in most parts of the Nation, he became much noted for his Learning and sanctity of Life. I have heard some reverend and ancient Divines of this University say, (as they had heard it from others who knew the Man,) that at what time Dr. Cooper was to leave Oxon, to go to the See of dincoln, he did humbly confess, in his farewel Sermon to the University, That he was born of very mean Parents in Cat-street, (k)(k) His Father was a poor Taylor, living in [〈◊〉] mostly situated in St. Mary’s Parish. that he had undergone several mean and servile Offices in Magdalen College, till by the favour of Friends he was advanced to be Fellow and Schoolmaster, &c. And so going forward with a recital of the chief parts of his Life, did, in conclusion, humbly acknowledge God’s great providence towards him, praying withal That he would be pleased to prosper him in that great Imployment, which was put upon him, &c. Of this Person much may be said, and perhaps some wrong might redound to his memory, if I should say little; for he was indeed a reverend man, very well learned, and exceeding industrious, as it appears by that great Dictionary, which yet bears his Name, and was the cause of his preferment; the foundation of which was taken from Sir Tho. Eliot’s Dictionary, and the materials, for the most part, from Rob. Stephens’s Thesaurus, and Joh. Frisius’s Lat. and Germ. Dictionary. The course of his Life in Oxon, was very commendable, and, in some sort, Saint-like, if it be Saint-like to live unreproveable, to bear a cross patiently, and to forgive great Injuries freely, this Man’s example was without pattern. The Truth is, he being little acquainted with the World of Men, he did unhappily marry an Oxford Woman, who proved too light for his gravity, and in the end became so notorious for her ill living, that the Libels that then came forth, did sound out her infamy; especially that made by Th Bulkley of Alis. col. which tells us, That a certain Person. (l)(l) Tho. [〈◊〉] Can. of [〈◊〉] some times Fellow of Alls. Col. did so much frequent her Company, that at length he was bound in a bond of 100. l. not to come near her. Nay, another (*)(*) Sir [〈…〉] in his brief view of the State of the Church of England, & [•] . Lo [•] d. [〈◊〉] o [•] t. p 64. tells us, That the whole Vniversity in reverence of the Man, and indignity of the matter, offered him to separate his Wife from him by publick An [••] ority and to set him free, being the innocent P [•] rts. But he would by no means agree thereto, alledging, he knew his own infirmity, that be could not live unmarried, and to divorce, and marry again, he would not charge his conscience with so great a scandal. He hath written.

The Epitome of Chronicles, from the 17th. year after Christ, to 1540. and thence afterwards to the year 156 [•] . Lond. 1560. qu. The Reader is to note that one Th [•] Lanquet, a young Man of 24 years of Age, had composed a Chron. consisting of two parts, reaching from the beginning of the World to the time of our Saviour; and was proceeding on a third part; but death cutting him off in his eager pursuit of the work, in 1545. our Author Cooper undertook to finish it; and his part, which is the third, contains almost thrice as much as the two parts of [〈◊〉] All which being finished, a third Person, contrary to the Mind of Cooper, published all the parts, under the Title of Lanquet’s Chronicle, an. 1559. which being very full of faults, our Author made a view and correction of, and published them in the year following, under the general Title of Coper’s Chronicle, &c. with a running Title of Lanquet’s Chronicle at the top of every leaf of the first and second part, and The Epitome of Chronicles at the top of every leaf of the third part, which, as I have told you, was composed by Cooper; who hath further written,

Thesaurus linguae Romanae & Britannicae, &c. Lond. 1565. in a large fol. This is commonly called Cooper’s Dictionary, which was so much esteemed by Q. Elizabeth, that ever after she endeavoured to promote the Author as high in the Church as she could. Of this Dictionary see more in Tho. Eliot, under the year 1546.

Dictionarium Historicum & Poeticum. Printed with the former Book.

A brief exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament, as usually are read in the Church at Common Prayer, on the Sundays throughout the year. Lond. 1573. qu.

Sermon at Lincoln 1575. on Matth. 16. 26, 27. Lond. in oct.

Twelve Sermons on Rom. 1. 16. Matth. 7. 15, 16. on 1 Cor. 10. 1. 3. 5. Matth. 13. 3. 5. and Joh. 8. 46. Lond. 1580. qu.

An admonition to the People of England; wherein are answered, not only the slanderous untruths, reproachfully uttered by Martin the Libeller, but also many other crimes by some of his Brood, objected generally against all Bishops, &c. Lond. 1589. qu. This Book was written after Mart. Marprelate had writ his Libel, which some (playing with Martin at his won weapon) answered pleasantly both in Rhime and Prose. But this our Author, the Bishop, with Authority and Gravity confuted him soundly in this Book; whereupon Martin replyed in a Book enit. Ha’y any Work for a Cooper, &c. At length this reverend and holy Bishop paying his last Debt to Nature at Winchester, 1594 29. Apr. in fifteen hundred ninety and four, was buried on the South side of the Choire, a little above the Bishop’s Seat, belonging to the Cathedral there. Over his Grave was soon after laid a flat Marble, with an inscription thereon in Prose and Verse, a Copy of which you may read in Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 197. a. He left behind him a Widow named Amey, and two Daughters, one of which, named Elizabeth, was the Wife of D [••] Joh. Belly, sometimes Provost of Oriel Col. afterward, Chanclour of the Dicocess of Lincoln, the other was Mary the Wife of John Gouldwell Gent.